Ulmschneider was a paramedic and 13-year veteran of the county's emergency medical services. He was married and had a 2-year-old daughter, fire department spokesman Mark Brady said.

"This is a day that we have all dreaded in our minds," the Prince George's County Professional Fire Fighters & Paramedics Association said on its Facebook page.

"We are keenly aware of the dangers of our profession but we have hoped that God would continue to watch over and protect our members. Now that tragedy has stricken us, we must stand strong and band together to support (Ulmschneider's) family and those who are closest to him."